Oz iPod-owners could face jail

The Australian's love of the iPod could lead to a new generation of convicts.

by
Macworld staff
, | 04 Aug 04

The Australian's love of the iPod could lead to a new generation of convicts.

According to Australian legal experts the iPod is illegal. Under Australia's copyright law anyone who has copied songs from a CD onto an iPod or computer hard drive has committed a criminal act.

However, the police will not come after the perpetrators, for now: A police spokeswoman told The Sydney Morning Herald: "It's unlikely that the Australian Federal Police would investigate individuals for offences such as illegally copying a CD. However all cases referred to the AFP are categorised and investigated as necessary."

Because Apple does not allow Australian customers to buy songs from its US iTunes website - and there is no local site - there is not much you can do legally with an Apple iPod in Australia, points out the Herald.

More than 100,000 Ozzies listen to music on digital music devices, according to the report.